Chip Kelly went to bed Tuesday night like a kid on Christmas Day. He had just received a present and was left dreaming about the possibilities of what he could do with it.

Versatile tight end/fullback/H-back James Casey remains the only offensive player signed to date by the Eagles in free agency. Offense is Kelly's side of the ball. It's why the Eagles put all their might into bringing Kelly to Philadelphia, for his offensive ingenuity. And it's players like Casey that get the coach Christmas-style amped.

"As a coach it's almost like you kind of got a new toy when there's a lot of different spots you can put him in because he's got a background in it and he's extremely smart, extremely intelligent. … But his versatility is really one of the keys to us acquiring him," Kelly said. "He was a guy we targeted right away when free agency started, a guy that can really come into our program and have a big effect on what we're going to do."

This is what the Eagles have with their new coach. He's someone who is willing to think outside the box and veer from preconceived notions and traditional beliefs. Who else would think that a player with 66 career receptions can have a "big effect" on his offense? Chip Kelly, that's who.

There were two games in particular that really caught the Eagles' eyes. (More on this later in the week.) Both were in the 2011 season when Casey was used more in the tight end position.

"If you go back two years ago and watch him play the New Orleans Saints being a traditional tight end or against the Tennessee Titans that year you're talking about an extremely versatile player," general manager Howie Roseman said. "I think he's good in all those roles. In this league having a guy you don't know where he's going to line up coming out of the huddle, that is an advantage."

There's no doubt given his multi-faceted skills the Eagles plan to use Casey and Brent Celek together in two tight-end sets. That's coming soon to an NFL field near you. In fact, twice (unprovoked) Kelly brought up the Patriots' tight ends when talking about Casey.

"You just look up the road at the Patriots using Gronkowski and Hernandez at the same time," he said. "I think the mismatches that they create sometimes, they're too athletic for linebackers and they're too big for defensive backs. And it's a big man's game, and when you can get big, athletic guys that can run, it's our job as a coaching staff to put them in position to make plays."

That's exactly what had Kelly dreaming about his new toy on Tuesday night. And it's why Casey left a championship-caliber team in Houston to join the Eagles.

"It was actually kind of a pretty easy decision for me," Casey said. "I felt like this was the best place for me because it's ââ I think I'm hopefully going to get some opportunities in the offense these coming years, and it's just I think the best place for me to be able to showcase what I can do, and hopefully I can help the team best here.